Truth & Consequences
by Gangsta Videl
Summary: Ken's been captured by Schreient... and Schoen wants her revenge. Too bad nobody told them what twists Hel had in store...
1. One

Truth & Consequences  
  
A/N: Holy carp! x_x I started this awhile ago, and it'll probably scare a lot of people crapless, but here goes: I am an idiot. And as Crystal Dawn will kindly tell you, she half-corrupted me into this coupling (my brain, DVDs, and short attention span supplied the rest). So here goes... ! Gundam fight all set! Ready? Go---wait, this isn't MFGG! _ Accursed brain...  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Weiß Kreuz. This shameless, *pointless* fic is a present for everyone else who thinks outside of their box. Like me... XP  
  
**********  
  
Truth & Consequences  
  
**********  
  
Hidaka Ken had been captured.  
  
The brown-haired man, now currently handcuffed to the basement wall of the Schreient mansion, had never seen it coming. He'd taken for granted the fact that there were people out there, ready and willing to kill him, and had walked right into the trap of the century.  
  
Ken swore to himself, mentally kicking himself. How could he have been so stupid? Shaking his head, he recalled the past events of that afternoon, wondering for the last time just why he'd done what he had...  
  
**********  
  
It had been a bright, sunny morning, and Ken had taken his kids out to one of the district school's soccer fields for a change.  
  
"Ken-nii!" One of his kids yelled, waving and pointing to the old abandoned house near the Domino High soccer field. "The ball went in there!" The child signalled to the broken window on the first floor, and Ken sighed.  
  
"All right, I'll get it," he'd said, looking back over at the twenty or so young children who'd come by to learn the game. "I wouldn't want any of you to get hurt by something in there."  
  
Several of the children smiled, glad that they weren't going. Several more were worried about being bullied by the larger children while Ken was gone, and a select few had actually heard everything he had said. Those who had had become nervous---couldn't Ken get hurt just as easily as they could?  
  
And that was how Ken had found himself breaking into the old house's broken window in hopes of retrieving the lost soccer ball. Now that he looked back, he had to wonder why he'd even bothered---it was just one ball. A few hundred yen and he could've replaced it easily, but no---he had to go inside. Come to think of it---he'd recieved a letter inviting him to that field. Too bad he hadn't remembered it until it was too late...  
  
Ken had gone up two flights of stairs (the house was a good five stories at least) before he got the feeling that he was being watched. Followed, even. Despite the fact that he was an assassin, that thought chilled him to the bone. But never once did he deter from the task, he just continued up in hopes of finding the ball and returning to the children.  
  
By the time he'd reached the top floor and seen the ball, he should have known. He should have known that no grade-schooler could kick a ball that high and that far. He should have trusted his instincts and left immediately. But did he? No. Hidaka Ken was a determined man, and his sights were set on the black-and-white orb not ten feet away from him.  
  
And that was when the trap was activated.  
  
The second his fingertips grazed the surface of the plaything he heard it--- the children were all screaming! Ken spun towards the window in time to see why---a woman's face seemingly appeared and came crashing through the window. Glass went everywhere, and Ken had had little time to duck and cover. It took him a moment, but when he looked up he clearly recognized the woman standing before him: "Schreient... "  
  
"Very good, Weiss," she laughed, smiling down at him evilly. Ken growled and grit his teeth. Out of all the assassins he knew, it would be the one who'd sworn an oath to kill him. It wasn't hard for him to recognise the pretty, scowling face, framed with thick blonde hair. Or maybe it was her bright red whip that rung the bells in his mind. All Ken knew was that he was in a room---alone---with a female assassin. She was armed; he was not.  
  
And on top of that, he had no way of fighting back should she try and attack.  
  
"I'm honored that you remember us," the woman continued on, stepping closer to the figure kneeling down on the floor in front of her. Ken clenched his teeth and tried to figure out if he could make it to the door if he threw the soccer ball at her suddenly. It would be his only possible escape, afterall.  
  
"Honored isn't the right word," another female voice called out. Horrified, Ken looked back to the doorway to see the two dark-haired members of Schreient, one with police batons and the other with her thick mask on. The one who'd spoken---the one with her hair pulled back--- smirked at him.  
  
"I think he's happy to remember us... isn't that right, Weiss?" The two who'd spoken laughed tauntingly, but the third woman stayed silent, her gaze never leaving Ken's face.  
  
By now Ken was more than worried. He was already mostly surrounded. The only way he could hope of getting away would be to go for the window and pray that the fall wouldn't kill him.  
  
He summoned up his courage, and prepared to dive for the window. He cast the three women a dark look before hurling the ball in the blonde's direction and making a run for it. The blonde shrieked as she caught the ball (but only in self-defense, mind you).  
  
"Tot!" she yelped as soon as she realized what was happening. "Tot, stop him!"  
  
Ken glanced back, wondering what she was ranting about. He glanced back, ready to dive out... and fell to the ground in surprise as another girl popped up out of the window, this one with bright blue hair and a small pink rabbit. The man swore loudly as she stepped inside, smiling coyly.  
  
"Ooh! We caught a kitty!' the young girl giggled, covering her face with the toy. Ken's face paled considerably as the other women moved around to circle him, all of them smiling down at him dangerously (minus Tot who was grinning almost cheerfully, of course, and the girl in the mask who appeared to be neutral).  
  
It was the last conscious thought Ken had before the leader of the team raised her baton in the air and hit him on the back of the neck, and the last sounds he heard before falling into unconsciousness was the laughing of the four maniacal women hovering about him.  
  
**********  
  
"Today could not get any worse," Ken sighed, leaning his head back and wincing slightly as it hit the wall. "Unless they execute me. Which is pretty likely, considering those girls. If I'm lucky I'll even have my insides tested on... "  
  
The man shuddered at that rather unpleasant thought, wondering for just a minute why Schreient hadn't dissected him yet.  
  
"Probably want information," he groaned, leaning his head back and hitting it on the wall once again. The soccer player pouted, wishing he could at least use his hands and make sure he wasn't bleeding. The fact that it was quite dark in the room didn't help and whereas he didn't feel any blood trickling down, he knew that didn't mean it wasn't.  
  
Ken's face suddenly softened as he whispered darkly, "I wonder what they're gonna do to me... "  
  
It wasn't the first time that reality hit him, and it probably wouldn't be the last time, he mused. Ken had come to terms with the fact that he probably wouldn't live long enough to ever see his friends again, and sighed once more. If he could only change one thing about today (besides being captured, of course), he wouldn't have let his kids see him dragged away like that.  
  
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he hissed, before a soft voice giggled... wait, a giggle? He glanced up quickly, somewhat surprised to see the youngest Schreient member standing in front of him, her head cocked to one side as she held her rabbit up in front of her to view the prisoner.  
  
"What do you think, Mr. Bunny?" she asked the toy. "Isn't he funny?" And the girl dissolved into giggles again, making Ken scowl.  
  
"What do you want with me?!" he barked, and the girl suddenly stopped her giggle-fest.  
  
"I don't want anything," she said in a sing-song voice, tilting her head back and forth several times. "But I know someone who does!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
The sudden sound of high heels, and then: "Forgetful, aren't we? How tragic."  
  
Ken knew that voice very well: so did Tot. Glancing behind them both, each was able to clearly see the blonde member of Schreient. The teens both had different responses to her appearance, however: Tot smiled sweetly and skipped over to her, and made her rabbit say hello, earning a small smile from the sadistic blonde. Ken, however, tried to shrink back into the wall- --an impossible feat even for one who is not chained to said wall.  
  
The blonde eyed him for a moment, before very calming turning her attention back to her young teammate and asking, sweetly; "Tot-chan, do you mind... ? Yes, I think I'll take it from here. I'll be up later, and don't let Hel or Neu come down, dear. This one's all mine."  
  
There was something all-too sickening about the look on her face. And--- once again---that same thought ran through Ken's mind; 'I'm going to die here, tonight.'  
  
'And there's not a damn thing I can do to prevent it.'  
  
**********  
  
Schoen was laughing inside as Tot bounded up the atairs, singing a random ditty to her beloved Mr. Bunny. Something... about... lovers? Ah, she'd sort it out later. For now, the chained member of Weiss was her primary concern.  
  
And she was going to enjoy every minute of it.  
  
Catching him had been easy---really easy. Who'd have thought that Tot could've been such a good little spy and followed him back to his home? And then to the soccer fields, where he'd announced the practice in Domino?  
  
It was almost too easy. Just be there, stay hidden, and wait. They hadn't actually been planning on getting him in the house---that had only worked out to be their advantage. Actually, they'd been planning on waiting till the children left to take him---no witnesses then. But this was okay, too-- -Neu had gone down to the children and told them that their coach (blasted if any of them were on a first-name basis!) had recieved a nasty cut on his leg and bumped his head. So nasty, really, that a doctor was coming. And Hel drove around the block, walking over to Neu in her lab coat, playing the perfect doctor role.  
  
The children were too naïve to suspect a thing.  
  
They wished Ken good-bye (not realizing that he was unconscious or being kidnapped), and went on home.  
  
It was really something, how thick a child could be. Tot, at age six, probably would've noticed something off, but did those children?  
  
Schoen wasn't one for prayer, but for once, she praised the good Lord (Lords?) for the children's being too stupid to ask any questions.  
  
The sudden sound of metal grinding on stone brought her away from her short- lived memory, though she could tell that the Weiss member had taken her silence as some sort of new torture technique.  
  
"You seem stuck, Weiss," she commented at last, not able to stop herself from smirking at him as though he were, indeed, a slave to her queen. "Pity."  
  
He sneered. "Not from you."  
  
She glared. "What was that?"  
  
He looked up at her, cold determination in his eyes. "I said, 'not from you.' You wouldn't be capable of pity if it bit you."  
  
Schoen said nothing, and merely walked closer to her captive brunette. She heard him scrunch back even further against the wall, and it made her laugh.  
  
"What's wrong, Weiss? Afraid much? You weren't so afraid of me when you did this to me!" Her tone changed suddenly, from mocking to pure hatred. Her hand covered the scars---barely visible underneath her makeup---but still apparent.  
  
Ken's eyes widened. She hadn't forgotten that. And she was going to make sure he never did as well.  
  
"I'll make sure you regret the day you met me," she hissed, seemingly whipping her whip out of nowhere. She clenched it tightly between her hands, face darkening quickly. "If you live that long, anyway."  
  
**********  
  
TBC~  
  
**********  
  
A/N: O________o  
  
When did I decide that this should be a chapter story and not a oneshot? I *like* oneshots! The closure! But... this seems to want to be a chapter fic... dammit!  
  
Ah well.  
  
Expect no regular updation. And review, dammit, or I'll, uh... send my minions after you! Like they'll listen, but still!  
  
---Gangsta Videl 


	2. Two

Truth & Consequences  
  
A/N: ... ^^!! An actual update, WOW.... ^^! And I've already finished chapter three as well... YAY! XD So, yeah. Regular updates for awhile. I don't know how long this is going to end up being, though, so I'm not sure how long that'll last. I love all my wonderful reviewers---yes, even you, NNP! Who's mah favorite assgoblin? XD Ahhh... j/k, right? o.O And Tiger! You've got it backwards... *snerk*  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or the characters, or even thge gameshow Truth and Consequences, which is where the title was derived. I do, however, own a flute, so if anyone's in need of a flute and wants one...  
  
**********  
  
Truth & Consequences  
  
**********  
  
"You know, Schoen," Hel said later that night, when all of Schreient had gathered upstairs for supper and a talk before retiring to bed, "his team will eventually realize something's up."  
  
"Not for awhile!" Tot called out cheerfully, reaching out across the table for the sugar. Hel made a face at her lack of manners and pushed the dish closer, making no comment as the girl spooned heaps of sweetener into her tea.  
  
Schoen made a face as well, and Neu raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that, Tot?" she asked after the girl had finished with the sweetener and was happily sipping at her beverage.  
  
"Because!" the girl chirped, offering a butter cookie to her toy friend. "He's done it before!"  
  
"Done what?"  
  
"Left for days!"  
  
Hel raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure of that, Tot?" she asked slowly, regarding the teenager from behind her glasses. The scientist knew better than to sit and wait for an answer, however, and helped herself to the sugar for her own tea.  
  
Schoen 'hmph'ed and looked away from the young girl, glad that the conversation was off of that Weiss bastard. Awaiting the inevitable question, she leaned back slightly and ran her finger around the rim of her teacup. Who would ask this time, Neu or Hel? Never Tot, though---the girl didn't seem to care about such things. But Neu and Hel, however...  
  
"Schoen," Neu said quickly, and the blonde turned to face her.  
  
"Yes, Neu?" she asked, waiting still.  
  
"Don't let him die."  
  
Now this was shocking news.  
  
"What?!" Schoen yelped, jumping to her feet in anger. Neu, of all people, should realize that he was an enemy and that enemies had to be destroyed! If she was changing loyalties now, Schoen wouldn't wait for her to fight back before taking her out!  
  
Hel and Tot even stared as Schoen asked: "Why not?"  
  
Neu raised one eyebrow, as if she could see what the others were missing. "If you kill him now, we won't get any information out of him."  
  
'I don't want information out of *him*!' the blonde thought bitterly, though she did not voice her particular thought out loud. 'I want him dead! Dead, dammit! As dead as he and his bastard friends made our poor Masafumi... !'  
  
"Fine," she snarled, flopping back down into her seat in a bit of a huff and rumpling her skirt. She'd be angry about that later, most likely, but it didn't matter now. Right now, the important thing was to control her anger and not kill any teammates unnecessarily. "I won't kill him. Yet."  
  
That settled, the blonde stood up in a huff and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Hel winced as the clatter of china resounded around the room before sighing.  
  
"Hel?" Tot asked tentatively, and the dark-haired scientist flicked her gaze over to the young girl.  
  
"Yes, Tot?"  
  
The girl with the blue-raspberry colored hair paused for a moment. "If Weiss come... "  
  
"We'll be ready for them," Hel finished. But in her mind, she could only think: 'We just have to be... '  
  
**********  
  
There was something soothing about the soft clicking of heels descending downstairs, Schoen decided. Especially if one was heading down to visit.  
  
Visit... it was strange that the members of Schreient had started using 'visit' as a synonym for 'going to see Masafumi'. If one was 'going visiting', they were really just going downstairs to see him.  
  
It was strange, she decided, but there was something very special and unique about it, too.  
  
She smiled to herself as she headed towards his tube, resting her hands on its cold metal surface. Just because he couldn't respond didn't mean he couldn't hear her, right?  
  
"Life's been hell without you, Masafumi," the ex-model complained, fixing her hair idly. "All those fights with Weiss, and those ordeals with Schwarz... "  
  
She sighed, leaning her back against the tube and looking around the darkened room boredly.  
  
"We've caught one of the Weiss. Don't you worry, Masafumi," she said sweetly, closing her eyes. "We'll make him and his friends pay for what they've done. I'll make him suffer, you won't have to worry about that."  
  
Silence responded to her comments, and the sound of bubbling from the tube preserving the scientist.  
  
"You know," she said at last, "you're the only man I think I'll ever talk to like this. And I mean it," she added, giving the green-tinted window a definate Look. "You're the only one!"  
  
The only one... ?  
  
Blast, she'd forgotten about the prisoner!  
  
"Sorry to have to go so soon," Schoen apologized, gingerly tracing her fingers around the window of the tube. "Work, you know. But don't worry--- after the way I hit him, he won't ever bad mouth you again."  
  
How hard had she whipped that young man, anyway? Enough to knock him unconscious---though, his head had hit the wall rather hard once or twice. He'd be bloody and bruised when she saw him next, and that suited her just fine. He hadn't cared about cutting her up, nor Masafumi: it was all retribution for his evil deeds.  
  
She gave a cold laugh and turned away, walking up the staircase with great finesse---the kind only a model could have, really.  
  
"I'll 'visit' again soon," she whispered, closing her eyes before turning the doorknob. "I promise."  
  
**********  
  
Elsewhere in the Schreient mansion, a young man lie bleeding, still chained to the wall. His breath was slow, but steady; his hair matted now with blood and grime from the wall. Flecks of blood covered the wall directly behind him, and more on the floor.  
  
If he'd been awake, Hidaka Ken would've praised the Lord that he'd been knocked unconscious so quickly. As it was, he was unconscious---and he wouldn't be waking up in a hurry. Not with the pain SHE'd sent in his direction---nasty red cuts and welts all over his face and upper torso were solid proof of that.  
  
And she was coming back for more.  
  
**********  
  
"Schoen."  
  
The blonde raised an eyebrow at her darkhaired teammate waiting ever-so patiently outside the door leading downstairs. Closing it with a small 'click' of the lock, she placed her hands on her hips.  
  
"What is it, Neu?"  
  
The younger woman with the permanent poker face (or so it seemed at times) stepped closer to the blonde, eyes unreadable from behind her thick mask. "You're going to kill him later, aren't you."  
  
Was it ever even a question? "Once you and Hel are finished with him, of course I am!" she snapped, temper rising dangerously. "And why shouldn't I? He ruined my life, and he took Masafumi from us!"  
  
"You don't have to tell me twice," the younger replied calmly, making Schoen even angrier than before. "Just make it slow. And painful. And don't let him get to you like you did before."  
  
Schoen's eyes flashed. "What was that?"  
  
Neu turned to look at her (or at least tilt her face in Schoen's direction), and offered what was meant to be advice.  
  
"If you let him get to you, you'll just end up killing him quickly. And that'll put us at a disadvantage. Sooner or later, they'll figure it out. One of those snot-nosed little brats will ask about him, or some stupid girl will say she say Tot near their hideout."  
  
A sigh. "So what, Neu? You want me to give up on it?"  
  
"No." And then: "Just make it slow. As slow as you can. Really piss him off, then kill him. See how much he likes it for a change."  
  
The blonde smirked, faith in her team suddenly renewed. "Now that I can do."  
  
"Good." A smirk, followed by: "And don't forget to clean up there later. The blood will start to smell soon. Get him to wash it, even. Hel wants it clean for when they come."  
  
Schoen made a face, lips drawn into a thin line at the prospect of *them* coming.  
  
"Whatever Hel wants, Hel gets," she replied snarkily, before walking off. Neu cast her a dark look, but remained silent and left, instead, in the opposite direction.  
  
Many things were about to go down in the Schreient mansion that night, and an inter-team fight wasn't to be one of them.  
  
**********  
  
And it was in that way that Ken's first night at the Schreient mansion came and went.  
  
His first morning, however, was far less violent...  
  
**********  
  
The brunette couldn't help but groan as he awoke, trying deperately to rub the blood and gunk from his eyes, or to even move his arms period. Not that waking to a pool of his own blood was any better---but things could've been worse, he supposed, though dying at this point almost seemed like leisure...  
  
"Morning!"  
  
Ken looked up, shocked to see that Tot was smiling down at him brightly, a tray of what seemed to be food tightly in her hands. Her stuffed rabbit, he noted, was seated rather precariously on her head. In all actuality, he reasoned, she seemed quite chipper, and why shouldn't she? She hadn't been the one to be kidnapped and knocked unconscious twice in one twenty-four hour time period. Still, he found it odd that this young girl---who had so clearly last night proved that she was the captor---was bringing a tray of food down. What, was she going to rub it in his face that she could eat or something?  
  
"What's with the tray?" he asked coolly, not entirely wanted to face her wrath, if it could be called that. He'd seen her work that umbrella before, and he didn't really feel like becoming her newest pincushion any time soon.  
  
Tot blinked and made a face before breaking out into a large and undeniably sunny grin. He could've sworn for a moment, though, that when she made the face she was calling him stupid mentally.  
  
"Breakfast!" she called out, as cheerful as ever, before plunking it down on the floor before him. "Silly, what did you think it was, a cage of birdies?"  
  
Ken made a face, still very perplexed.  
  
"You mean you're actually going to feed me?" he asked, even more bewildered when the girl unpinned his handcuffs from the stake on the wall, allowing his hands to drop to his sides for the first time since he'd awoken the first time. He rubbed at his sore wrists gingerly, and---while his hands and legs were still cuffed together---thanked God and this girl for letting him get some of his range of motion back.  
  
The girl frowned, lifting the rabbit off her head and cradling it to her chest. "Of course, stupid! If you die, we lose our Trump Card!" The tone in her voice changed, making it sound as though she was instructing a child.  
  
Just the way she said it, though, almost made it sound like Ken really was as stupid as his friends often joked. His friends... Ken shook his head quickly, trying not to remind himself that the next time he'd see them, it would probably be in Hell.  
  
"So... I get to eat?"  
  
"Of course!" the girl answered brightly, her good mood back once more. "Eat up!" And with that said, she pushed the tray towards him.  
  
The former j-leaguer stared at it for a silent moment. He recognized, of course, the three pieces of toast on the small plate, and the glass (with a straw, even) of what could only be orange juice. It was what was in the bowl, however, that he could not recognize.  
  
"What is that?" he asked, pointing, and the girl smiled.  
  
"Grits, stupid!"  
  
Well, that really answered his question, now, didn't it?  
  
"What are 'grits'?" Ken asked, realizing that becoming angry would no nothing to help his situation. If anything, he would probably just provoke another attack, and he didn't quite fancy the idea of dying just yet.  
  
"I don't know," Tot answered, "cornmeal or something. Tot wasn't really paying attention."  
  
Well, at least she was honest, Ken thought. And the food did look delicious, especially considering that he hadn't eaten in so long. When was the last time, anyway? Two, three hours before practice? No wonder he was so hungry!  
  
Without bothering to respond, Ken grabbed at a slice of toast and hastily shoved it in his mouth. Hot and buttery, the way he liked it... He reached for another slice, but stopped when he realized that the slice underneath the first had a large hole cut in it, and an egg in the hole, covered in gravy.  
  
"What the---?" he began, and Tot giggled. She seemed to be doing a lot of that, didn't she?  
  
"They're called 'Eggs Benedict in a Bunny Hole'!" she announced happily, and he raised an eyebrow, unable to stop the smile on his face.  
  
"Bunny hole?"  
  
"Yup!" she said with a grin. "Tot helped make them, too! I got to eat the holes," she admitted with a definate nod. This kid... she was cute, Ken decided. Innocent and evil at the same time, what a strange---yet ultimately possible---combination.  
  
And Ken actually found himself smiling again, still shoving food in his mouth as quickly as he could without looking a total slob. Not that the girl would've noticed, but still...  
  
In the short silence that followed her announcement, Ken realized just how hospitable he was being treated---considering. Here was a team who delighted in ripping the innards out of people, and he was their prisoner, and they'd bothered to make him breakfast? And a hot breakfast, to boot!  
  
'These girls sure are twisted,' he thought, trying to lift his beverage without running his chains in the food. 'But it might not be that bad.'  
  
Right.  
  
And the pigs were flying.  
  
The moment that 'Chen' lady, or whatever her name was, decided that he was unfit to be their Trump Card was the day he'd worry about it. Right now, it seemed like it was their top priority to keep him alive---and Ken wasn't about to complain!  
  
He finished the meal in relative silence (the only sounds were that of Tot and her rabbit 'talking' to one another about what they were to do that day). It was only after he'd finished and Tot hung his arms back up that he realized just how things were going to go down in the end.  
  
'If the blonde doesn't kill me, the others will,' he thought with a sigh, closing his eyes and wishing now that he'd asked the girl about possibly cleaning up a bit.  
  
'And both prospects seem rather bleak, too... Damn. Looks like this is one cat who got the cream all right---and ended up in the bag.'  
  
Which was, really, the last place he wanted to be.  
  
**********  
  
**********  
  
A/N: Well now! No Ken torture scenes (darn, and I know you all wanted him bloody and screaming in agony!), but still... ! It's going somewhere pretty damn fast... too bad I don't even know where that 'somewhere' is yet! @_@  
  
I've got a vague idea, though, but the rating might pop up quite a bit... ^^;; Thank you again, Tiger, for pointing out just what I was thinking, more or less... o_O  
  
And Misura? You read my mind... XD And isn't Tot the BEST at being both outrageously cute and evil at the same time? XD  
  
---Gangsta Videl 


	3. Three

Truth & Consequences  
  
A/N: @_# No jokes for today, just the one line: DAMN *&#@$ING HOMOPHONES.  
  
...  
  
And now, to our sponsors.  
  
Disclaimer: We have no sponsors, it was all a lie. And we don't own Weiss Kreuz, either. Hell, we don't even know why're we're talking like this--- we just are! o.o  
  
**********  
  
Truth & Consequences  
  
**********  
  
It was nearly noon when Hel came to get Schoen from the bathroom and have a talk with her. The blonde---infamous for her beauty---had hidden there in an attempt to not only cleanse herself and spruce up a bit, but to mull things over and clear her mind.  
  
And then Hel decided that they need a 'talk'.  
  
'Well, damn,' Schoen thought. 'Couldn't she have at least waited until I was finished?' Towelling off her wet hair while walking down numerous hallways and darkened passages, only steps behind her leader, the blonde groaned loudly and rolled her eyes. Hel hadn't even given her time to dress! Whatever this was about, it had better be important---Schoen still had things to do and a certain prisoner to torment.  
  
And now she'd have to wait on all of it.  
  
Great...  
  
"What's all this about, Hel?" Schoen asked, finally fed up with all of the waling. It would've been a far different story if she'd had shoes on---but walking barefoot? Down so many halls? And dripping wet to boot?  
  
It all added up to make for a very angry blonde.  
  
The dark-haired scientist looked at Schoen from the corner of her eye, never bothering to stop walking even once. "You'll find out soon enough," was the reply she recieved, which angered her almost as much as being interrupted.  
  
If it was one thing Schoen was known for, it was her temper. It even surpassed her poise and her looks---yes, even before that nasty little cat had sharpened his claws on her. What was that old saying again? 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?  
  
Ha. More like, 'Hell hath no fury like THIS woman scorned'.  
  
And that Weiss member was going to feel it all, too.  
  
"Either you tell me what this is about," the blonde-haired beauty hissed in a dangerously low, silky voice, "or we won't be talking at all. Aoi."  
  
Hel bristled visibly at the use of her real name. For the first time, she stopped her forward momentum and turned around slowly, her icy glare cold enough to make the hairs on the back of Schoen's neck prickle. The scientist didn't usually get this riled up---something was up.  
  
And Schoen wanted to know what it was.  
  
"Unless you speak civilly, Karen," Hel muttered, her voice mirroring Schoen's low and silky qualities, "you will find that I, too, am capable of a temper. And don't start," she added, eyeing Schoen's narrowing eyes, "on that ridiculous notation about you already being civil. Because you weren't."  
  
Schoen couldn't help but snap at this point. "And you were?"  
  
"As much fun as this discussion is," the leader of team Schreient cut in bitterly, "I think it best to end it. Now." Her opinion final, Hel spun around and marched off at what seemed to be double time.  
  
The sharp tone and decisiveness of the word struck Schoen harder than any blow could have. Still bitter, she clenched her fists and continued after her leader, though a bit slower than before, and with a definate sway.  
  
Oh, she'd follow Hel, all right.  
  
But she'd take her damn time doing it, too.  
  
**********  
  
Four hours later saw Hel alone in her office. Talking with Schoen---if one could call that heated argument 'talking'---hadn't gone as smoothly as she would've liked, and the large wet spots on the floor seemed to be proof of that fact.  
  
Then again, she reminded herself, when did things ever go smoothly around here?  
  
Once again, it seemed, she'd let her temper get the best of her. Hel snarled, anger once again rising inside her. Why couldn't her team go three minutes without fighting? Things hadn't been this way when Masafumi was here!  
  
Then again, they were all alone now, so to speak. And---she knew this was true of Schoen---anger was a way of relieving the grief of his current state. And it more than accounted for the scene that had exploded in this room hours before...  
  
**********  
  
"What do you mean you're not going to kill him?!" an outraged blonde had shrieked indignantly. "Do you remember what he did to me?! To us?!"  
  
"Of course I remember!" Hel had yelled back. "I was there! I'm only aying that we can't afford to kill him off, and---!"  
  
"Of course we can afford to! That's our plan, to get rid of them, we can't just---!"  
  
"We're not ready for that yet, don't you want to---!"  
  
"Why don't you listen for once, AOI, and you'll know what I want---!"  
  
"Don't you call me that, Karen! I know you want revenge, but it will just have to wait a little longer, and---!"  
  
Enough was enough.  
  
"SHUT UP!" Schoen bellowed, slamming her fist onto the table hard enough to actually overturn it. Hel had gasped, but the blonde wasn't finished yet. With one hand tightly holding her towel in place around herself, she took one very slow, deep breath and cast her darkest glare at her team leader.  
  
"Do not underestimate me, Hel," she seethed. "I am not a Barbie doll, and you do not have control over how and if I take my revenge."  
  
And that's when she'd stormed out, slamming the door hard enough to knock photographs and certificates off the walls.  
  
**********  
  
The blonde's temper was getting the best of her again, Hel had noted. And her obsessiveness.  
  
Schoen had never taken lightly to being subservient to anyone, least of all Hel. And why should she? She was treated as an equal by Masafumi, probably for the first time. As a model, she'd been above everyone---and then Weiss had come along.  
  
And that brunette had ruined things.  
  
He'd forced Schoen to realize that the world did not revolve around her. And---while Hel knew this was a painful realization, albeit a truthful one-- -she also knew that Schoen had become obsessed with proving him wrong.  
  
But what was her basis for revenge, after all?  
  
It had been what their argument was about, and---if Hel or Schoen didn't eventually break and make-up---it might tear the team apart---and that was a huge no-no. It was crucial to stick together in times like this.  
  
Hel sighed, removing her glasses and tossing them onto her desk before rubbing her temples slowly. She was damn tired of this.  
  
"If Schoen doesn't get over this," she muttered, closing her eyes, "I suppose it will be duty to close the gap."  
  
... damn.  
  
It was time to go 'visiting' again.  
  
**********  
  
Elsewhere in the mansion...  
  
"Stupid, bratty, obnoxious, overestimated, dimwitted, shameless wench!" Schoen hissed, slamming her heels onto the stairs as she forced her way down. Each step---sorry, stomp---rang out in the darkness, accenting her words and her anger.  
  
"How dare she tell me that... !"  
  
She paused, somewhere in the middle of the stairs down to the dungeons where she'd beaten the defenseless Weiss kitten the night before, and took a deep breath. Just because she couldn't kill him didn't mean she couldn't have her fun with him. As long as he didn't die, right?  
  
"Hi, Schoen!"  
  
The blonde raised an eyebrow as Tot and Mr. Bunny came skipping up the steps, holding an empty breakfast tray and several very dirty dishes.  
  
"Tot.. " Schoen began slowly, making sure to catch the other girl's eye. "What have you been doing down here?"  
  
"Breakfast!" the teen replied innocently.  
  
The blonde didn't miss a beat. "What breakfast? You ate earlier, remember?"  
  
Tot nodded, so Schoen tried again.  
  
"So what? Don't tell me you ate twice!"  
  
"Nope!"  
  
The blonde narrowed her eyes. It was bad enough getting told off by Hel, was Tot going to act evasive now? Not on Schoen's watch!  
  
"So why do you have that tray, hmmm?" Schoen's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, no---tell me you didn't---!"  
  
"Didn't what, Schoen?" Tot asked, blinking.  
  
"Didn't feed him!"  
  
"Oh, okay, I won't!"  
  
Ignoring the horrified look on her older 'sister''s face, Tot stepped past her and continued skipping up the steps, making idle conversation with her rabbit. Schoen, however, stood frozen on the stairs.  
  
It... didn't make sense.  
  
They knew she hated him; no, hate wasn't strong enough. She loathed him, and they still fed him? Treating him like a wonderfully normal houseguest (minus the chains)?  
  
And to go behind her back, and never bother telling her... ?  
  
Hel was so dead.  
  
But this guy was first.  
  
"This has to be your lucky day, Weiss," Schoen called from her place on the stairs, careful not to let her voice waver at all. She could hear metal grinding, and grinned: ahh, so he was looking for her? Let him look. She wasn't about to move into his line of vision any time soon.  
  
"In fact, I think it may have just gotten a bit luckier."  
  
She could almost hear him struggle not to say anything snide. He knew what the cost of being rude was now, but he was definately a snippy one!  
  
'Fighting back the urge to ask just how lucky? Fine then, I'll tell you... '  
  
"It seems you're more important than you realize, Weiss." Again, more clinking sounds. Schoen waited for the noises to cease before continuing.  
  
"It seems they won't let me finish you off just yet---so if you're not already thanking your lucky stars, you'd better start."  
  
Smiling, and actually feeling much better, Schoen descended down the stairs further, allowing him to perhaps catch a glimpse of her skirt and heels. It wasn't enough to merely discourage him from hoping: no, she wanted to break his spirits, crush them until the only thing he could have left to hope for was death, and even that would be a long time in coming.  
  
Mayhap there was more to this long and drawn-out thing than she'd first realized...  
  
"Admit it, you're afraid. You still think you'll be saved, don't you? Some sort of hellish retribution against us, hmm? I've got news for you," she murmured, smile turning into a devilish sneer. "No one will come and save you. You're simply not worth the effort that would take."  
  
So what if it was a lie. So what if Weiss would come eventually. By then, it would already be too late. Might as well make him regret ever becoming an assassin as long as he was still around, right?  
  
"I hate you."  
  
Schoen raised an eyebrow. So, he was finally ready to start talking back? Fine! It would give her more practice with both her temper and her whip, then.  
  
"Good to know, Weiss!" Laughing, she descended fully down the staircase, sauntering over to his glowering form as sweetly as a model-turned-killer could.  
  
"I'm sure that will show up on a game show someday... "  
  
The brunette glared up at her, and Schoen smiled. Now was as good a time as ever to start prodding him for information, right? And---since starvation was obviously not in the cards---perhaps a bit of 'playing' could help?  
  
The woman spun around, her back facing her prisoner. If he could see the anger etched in her face, she reasoned, he might be able to use it against her.  
  
Which was a major no-no.  
  
"I'll ask you once," she said, her voice soft but cold. "Tell me your name, age, and rank."  
  
"What do I look like, a soldier?" he spat out, voice dripping in rage. Schoen twitched slightly, but managed to stay cool. After all, she was the one who'd planned this---and she'd be damned before she let someone else take on her role!  
  
"Don't make me repeat myself, now answer!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"You're in no position to fight me on this, you know," she said airily, as though it were something anyone could say in decent conversation. "Who knows? The more you talk, the longer you'll be of use to us."  
  
She could sense his apprehension. Truth be told, she already had a vague idea of who he really was---hey, you weren't a famous model for years without knowing a few things about people!  
  
A very bitter silence followed, and Schoen knew that the man behind her was chewing the information as best he could. He'd have to stomach it or he'd be beaten; really, how long did he think his body could go before he snapped?  
  
And they always snapped.  
  
No exceptions.  
  
**********  
  
"I'm waiting."  
  
Ken looked at her back, mentally screaming as many insults as he could even think of. If he didn't answer quickly, he'd get more of what he'd recieved last night, and his body was in no shape for that! He hadn't even had time to properly lick his wounds from his last encounter with this one, and here he was now, faced with the chance to triple the pain!  
  
And her tone was another thing entirely. No emotion, save for loathing. And a certain sharpness that seemed more ominous than not.  
  
He'd have to think quickly to escape this mess. Especially considering rthe Schreient technology! They could find out... things... which were probably best left alone.  
  
... damn.  
  
"Don't tell me you can't find your voice, Weiss, you're the only kitty here, so I know you've got your tongue."  
  
Ken grimaced. Damn! How many more of those blasted cat things did she have, anyway? No matter. He'd best talk.  
  
There was still that small sliver of chance, afterall...  
  
Ken sighed, closing his eyes. He knew when he was defeated. He knew when it was a waste of time to fight. The tables would never turn in his favor, not with this one as his personal guard.  
  
"Siberian," he muttered at last, the sudden sound of his voice causing the golden-haired woman to spin around again. "I'm Siberian."  
  
She snickered---definitely not a good thing. "And I'm Masafumi's secretary. Now shut up about that damn codename of yours and try again."  
  
So she knew. Ken paused, trying to think the pros and cons of it all.  
  
Pros - He'd live, Weiss would find him eventually, and he could more or less escape without much more damage done to his being.  
  
Cons - They'd know who he was, they'd be able to track him, everyone he knew could be in danger.  
  
Then again, he didn't have that option any longer.  
  
Ken's eyes shone in realization: he could lie. He could say he was someone different---Kase Koichiro, maybe---and they might never know.  
  
Or maybe they would.  
  
Did he really want to risk his life on that lie?  
  
The woman sighed loudly, ripping his attentiion away from his train of thought. She'd crossed her arms over her chest---a place Ken knew he should stop looking at, and soon---and was now drumming her fingers along her arm. Definately not the posture of a patient girl.  
  
"I told you once," she muttered, eyes lowering to glare down at him as if he were some sort of insect that she'd eventually trod on. "I'll not ask again. So either you tell me---" she pulled her arms free and held them up, revealing her whip "---or you will pay for your insubordination."  
  
Well!  
  
Wasn't that the best deal he'd been made all day?  
  
"Fine!" Ken grunted, looking away from her. It was painful enough to have to admit defeat, but he didn't really have to look it in the face, did he? And be reminded of what he was losing? "You win. I'll tell you my name."  
  
She smiled, a sadistic grin that quite suited her, in Ken's not-so humble opinion. He knew she was waiting. Closing his eyes and keeping his head turned away from her, he muttered out; "Ken. Hidaka Ken."  
  
"What was that? I couldn't hear you. Speak up, muttering isn't very polite, you know!"  
  
Ken forced himself to keep his insults to himself and clenched his eyes even tighter. "Hidaka Ken," he growled again, and the woman sighed.  
  
"Is that as loud as you can get? Tsk, tsk, what nasty manners you've got. Perhaps a dose of pain can fix that... ?"  
  
She pulled her arm back, whip at the ready. It made a crackling noise as she whizzed it past his ear. Whether she'd meant to miss or not, the point made was very clear.  
  
"MY NAME IS KEN!!" the man roared, eyes flashing with malice as he spun to face her, and the woman laughed.  
  
"So... you're Ken then, hmm?" He nodded, never once letting her have the satisfaction of hearing him speak again. He'd already lost his identity--- what next?  
  
Ken already knew the answer to that question, of course.  
  
His life.  
  
**********  
  
**********  
  
A/N: ^^;; No beating---sorry! But there will be blood in the next chapter. I hope... o_O And a bad Mattel joke or two. And the possibility of the formation of the plot! *shock horror gasp*  
  
Ain't I fun? XD  
  
---Gangsta Videl 


	4. Four and a half

Truth & Consequences  
  
A/N: I like bleeding hearts. They amuse me. I also like mocking the subtitles on episode twenty-one (21). If this confuses you... read on, dear friend, read on. XD  
  
Disclaimer: Oh yeah, I *really* own this.... :P  
  
**********  
  
Truth & Consequences  
  
**********  
  
Miles away, at a small flower shop in the Tokyo district, three men were slaving away in front of dozens of young teenage girls. The girls were enjoying it, though the men were not. Then again, one of them was missing-- -never a fun time then.  
  
The fourth male employee, Hidaka Ken, had never returned home from soccer practice. He'd run off before---almost left to Australia that one time--- so it wasn't that unusual.  
  
Still...  
  
There were elements involved that made it unusual.  
  
Like the fangirls. Saying that they saw a pretty girl with weird, blue hair, and a pink rabbit.  
  
It shouldn't have been possible.  
  
It shouldn't've happened.  
  
But it had.  
  
Ken was missing---and the Schreient knew where they were...  
  
Nothing---no one---was safe.  
  
**********  
  
"So, he's Ken, huh?" Neu snickered, genuinely pleased at the information Schoen had managed to extract from her newest victim.  
  
The blonde smiled victoriously. He was still alive, and little worse for wear---a few scars, maybe, but that wouldn't matter once he was dead. And he would die. She was going to make sure of that.  
  
It was a lucky break that had caught the two women alone for once. Tot was... Tot was out being Tot, most likely prancing about outside in her ever-too-cheerful mood. She'd come in later, when she was hungry. As for Hel, well, their oh-so-busy leader had insisted upon finishing one of Masafumi's old experiments---alone. And that was that.  
  
Not that Schoen minded. It only gave her more time to contemplate what to do to her young captive. And Neu was excellent company in thinking up horrendous things to do to him---and excellent company in general.  
  
The two of them had spent the better half of the last hour mocking Ken, and Neu found it especially odd that his name was so. Schoen didn't see the humor in it---though, if Neu had her way, that wouldn't last much longer.  
  
"So," the woman said, casting an unreadable look (as always) at Schoen. "Plan on being his Barbie, do you?"  
  
Schoen's face went positively red. "What?!"  
  
"You heard me," Neu replied, still smirking. "You want to be his little dress up doll, don't you?"  
  
Schoen was at her feet in an instant, nearly overcome with rage. The small table that had been sitting in between the two women had been flipped in the process, knocking a lamp and several coffee cups to the floor with a shatter.  
  
Never a good sign, the breaking of china.  
  
"I really despise you sometimes, Neu," Schoen hissed, letting the matter drop... for once. "If you need me, I think I'll be vis---"  
  
"SCHOOOO~EN!"  
  
The blonde spun around as Tot ran into the room, tears in the corners of her eyes. The girl was dirty, and her skirt was torn, but other than that, she seemed quite fine, but still...  
  
"Tot!' Schoen shrieked, forgetting Neu and scurrying over to the young girl. "Tot, are you all right? You're filthy! What happened?"  
  
The girl shook her head, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She hiccupped a few times, and Schoen saw more than a few swellings on her arms, and several on her legs, caked with mud.  
  
Which meant one of two things. Either Tot had been bitten by a good thousand spiders, or...  
  
"Hornets," Neu muttered, moving closer to the other two Schreient members. "You hit a nest, Tot?"  
  
The young girl shrugged. "I dunno.... but it hurts!"  
  
"Of course it does," Schoen muttered below her breath. "She was stung, not tickled... "  
  
Neu cast her a dark look, which Schoen ignored. Even if they were both upset and nervous about Tot's current disposition, that wasn't going to change the fact that Schoen still wanted to smack the younger woman silly.  
  
Actually, that was starting to sound like a really good idea...  
  
"... Schoen?" Tot asked very quietly, and the blonde glanced up at her. "W-will you g-get H-Hel to h-help?"  
  
A thin, quick frown marred Schoen's features. She was in no mood to go and beg Hel for anything---even the thought of looking for the repective leader was one that made her shudder in anger. But Tot was so hurt, and scared... but seeing Hel...  
  
Schoen weighed them over in her mind. Finally deciding that taking her anger out on Ken would be the best option, she sighed---loudly---and moved for the stairs.  
  
"I'll be back once I find Hel. Don't do anything stupid."  
  
And with that... she left. Leaving behind a sniffling teen and a scowling martial artist.  
  
**********  
  
When Schoen found Hel, she was actually sort of wishing she hadn't. The darker-haired woman was carrying a first aid kit, which Schoen knew couldn't be for Tot---there was simply no way she'd have heard about it by now.  
  
Which could only mean one thing, of course.  
  
"Hel."  
  
The dark-haired woman snapped her head up to face a nearly-steaming Schoen. "Yes?" she asked, shifting her weight back and forth on her feet. She didn't really have the time to argue with Schoen again---and if someone didn't clean up the prisoner, he'd probably end up with some sort of infection, and wouldn't that just make for a charming hostage.  
  
Lovely...  
  
"Whatever it is, Schoen---" Hel began, but the cold tone of the blonde's voice cut her off.  
  
"It's Tot---she's been stung by hornets or bees or something, and she wants you to help her."  
  
Hel's eyes widened and she very nearly dropped the kit. "Say what?!" she yelped, and Schoen nodded.  
  
"You heard me---she hit a nest, and she's covered in stings. And she wants your help, not mine." Frowning, the ex-model reached out and tapped the kit with one of her fngernails. "You might want to get moving," she added, a bit too sweetly. "Tot's in pain, Hel, darling."  
  
Her last words struck a chord that not even Hel could ignore.  
  
"Tot... " she muttered, and shook her head to clear her mind. "Where is she?"  
  
"With Neu," Schoen replied, leaning up against the wall. "Out in the tea room, or whatever you call it." After two years, she still didn't know the name of the room? Pathetic. "It doesn't look so good, though, you might want to hurry."  
  
Hel, however, was not ready to move just yet---though there was that small voice in the back of her mind yelling at her to make a run for it.  
  
"Schoen," she said quietly, "you'll need to take care of our 'visitor'. And that does not mean---" she added quickly, sending the blonde a direct glare "---that you can kill him off just yet. We still need him alive, you know."  
  
"I know," Schoen replied innocently as Hel---still carrying the first aid kit---walked past her down the short hallway. "Believe me; I know."  
  
And Hel left, silently; and Schoen smiled to herself. Oh, did she know--- and soon the boy would know, too....  
  
**********  
  
Ken had actually been dozing when she crept downstairs. How cute---in that little puppy in a basket sort of way. And that---in Schoen's not-so very humble opinion---was almost cute. Or maybe it was the fact that his arms were chained above his head and he was drooling on his own chest that made it amusing.  
  
But it wouldn't do for him to sleep through it all! He'd have to wake up.  
  
Grinning coldly, the woman stepped closer and stabbed the heel of her shoe into his abdomen, causing him to awaken, choking.  
  
Now that was cute!  
  
"Good morning, Ken," she said calmly, giving him another shove with her foot before removing it from his personage. "Have a nice sleep?"  
  
The brunette was too busy choking on his own saliva to answer---another highly amusing sight. My, he really was full of those today, now, wasn't he?  
  
Without waiting for him to catch his breath or even begin to rcover from the sudden stab of pain that awoke him (no pun intended), Schoen sighed and yawned, purposefully stretching out slowly. The more he could see, the more fun it could all turn out to be in the end.  
  
And it would be fun in the end.  
  
"Ohh, you look like you're hurt," the blonde mocked, pursing her lips and shaking her head sadly. If it wasn't for the nastily evil look in her eye, she might've actually looked concerned for his well-being. "Poor thing--- you really must take better care of yourself, you know."  
  
"Oh, just shut up already!" Ken hollered, and Schoen's eye twitched dangerously.  
  
"What did you say?" she hissed, and the brunette glared at her.  
  
"I said, 'shut up'!" the teen repeated, anger rising. Being shackled in a dungeon-like room did that to a person after awhile---unable to keep his rage in control, he took it out on the first person he saw. Unfortunately for Ken, it was also the woman who wanted him to die---and he was giving her enough fuel to actually go through with it.  
  
"You're an egomaniac! A horrible blonde wench who couldn't determine the sheer velo---"  
  
His rant was cut-off by a very angry woman and her hand, slapping his face.  
  
The coldness in Schoen's eyes seemed to have multiplied tenfold. Probably-- -no, definitely---even more than that. Words could not begin to describe how angry she looked, from her burning glare to her shaking hands.  
  
The woman was pissed.  
  
Slowly---very slowly---Schoen stepped closer to the darker-haired assassin, in a visible attempt to remain calm. She was far from calm, however, though her voice did not betray that.  
  
It was sometime then that Ken realized just how big a mistake he'd made. For not only had he angered his captor---the one woman out of the four who was ready to strike him dead---but an armed captor.  
  
... damn.  
  
The woman slapped him again---harder this time. So much so that his neck cracked and he winced in pain. He couldn't take much more of that, and she had to know it... because seconds later, she was standing tall again, her whip in her hands.  
  
She lashed out in an instant, and this time, Ken could not keep himself from shouting out in pain. Blood began to flow freely from the wound--- inches above his right eye---and his vision was immediately obscured.  
  
Too bad that wasn't all.  
  
The blonde lashed out again and again, each new attack bearing even more bloody wounds. His chest was hit hard, having no shirt to act as protection there. His arms, too, and his face as well. It only took a few minutes for the woman to cover him in blood and scar him far beyond recognition. It was only the continuous onslaught of pain that was keeping him conscious at this point... and Ken actually found himself wishing she'd be off on her aim and just kill him.  
  
Right, like that would happen.  
  
Schoen was definitely the best in her field. She wasn't going to mess up and kill him so easily---no---she'd much rather savor every minute of sweet torture she could lavish on him.  
  
The woman let out a huff and straightened, giving her whip a slight tug. She took a deep breath to calm down before surveying the damages.  
  
Blood was trickling into one of his eyes, and he was breathing quite harshly. His arms and legs were ripped up and oozing, as was his chest. Dark bruises cover his entire front half, including one in the shape of a shoe on his abdomen. He was glaring at her out of his one good eye, though, even as his body continued to shake from the stress.  
  
Schoen smirked. He was better looking when he was covered in blood, especially his own. Oh, and he looked like he was in pain... and he looked so tired!  
  
Schoen laughed. He'd have been better off passing out... The longer he stayed awake, the longer she was going to hit him.  
  
Smiling down at her prey, Schoen knelt down in front of him. He looked at her with his one good eye, probably trying to figure out what she was going to die... Ha! Like he'd ever be able to read her movements.  
  
"You know, Ken," she muttered softly, "for one of the Weiss, you seem awfully foolish. Then again, I suppose you're all fools, aren't you? For ever daring to come in between us and Masafumi!"  
  
The brunette grunted, though Schoen couldn't tell if it was from pain or annoyance. Though she was secretly hoping it was a mixture of both---more reason to hit him later.  
  
"Not going to talk, hmm? Smart move, Weiss," the blonde commented airily, glancing down at her hands and fingernails. The polish she'd put on so hastily last night was beginning to peel---damn! She'd have to put on another coat after she was finished here.  
  
"That's probably the smartest move you've ever made... "  
  
Ken stayed silent. The blonde smirked.  
  
"I can make you talk," she whispered, lifting her right hand and tracing along his jawline with one finger, laughing as he clenched his jaw. Such a silly, silly boy... she'd have to fix that.  
  
He was expecting something quite different from what he'd get, she thought with a smile. The boy obviously thought she was going to try and hit on him... as if she would ever do such a thing!  
  
"You, little boy," Schoen hissed suddenly, prodding her finger into one of Ken's brand-new bruises (and causing him to howl in pain), "need to learn your place in this world."  
  
And with that said, the blonde left the teen to contemplate his role in the strange, mixed-up thing we dare call 'life' and went to see how Tot was faring.  
  
**********  
  
Tsukiyono Omi was, in a way, a very average teenaged boy. He went to school, he had a job, even thought he was in love once. But at the same time, he was also very far from ordinary---he was an orphan who'd been taught to kill, was an assassin and had been somewhat involved with his own sister.  
  
Definitely far from ordinary.  
  
Right now, though, he was in a tight spot. Ken---one of co-workers and close friends---was missing, and presumed either dead or kidnapped. Neither of which were good, and neither of which he could recieve aid in fixing.  
  
Omi gave a loud sigh and looked down at the plant he was supposed to be pruning. Bleeding hearts---how sadly appropriate.  
  
He never had liked those pesky little pink flowers---sure, they were nice enough to look at, but their name! It was a really depressing name, which really turned him off from those blossoms, and anyway---hadn't Ouka hated them, too?  
  
Omi froze, the shears he'd been using accidentally cutting off a sprig of the flowers. It was painful to remember that she'd died because of him--- and that, just maybe, if he'd been fast enough... she'd still be alive.  
  
The blonde shook his head, trying to get his mind of the dark-haired girl. Not that it worked any---she was dead, and it was all his fault. And now Ken-kun had been kidnapped... and that was probably somehow his fault as well...  
  
**********  
  
To say that Hel was displeased about viewing Ken's current state was to put it mildly. Then again, when dealing with her teammates, she often did take things mildly. Only in order to keep them in line, of course, but there were always exceptions.  
  
Like now, for instance.  
  
She was currently pacing back and forth behind her desk, trying to stay calm as Schoen sat in front of the desk, waiting. The model didn't look too upset over the situation either, which only proved to anger Hel even more.  
  
She was going to get through to Schoen, and she was going to do so now.  
  
"Do you realize that by acting as brashly as you did," Hel began, ceasing her forward motion and pointing an accusing finger at Schoen's face, "that you have jeopardized our entire plan?!"  
  
Schoen made a face. "He deserved it, though."  
  
"Maybe," Hel continued, "but that's no excuse! You knew very well that he needed to stay alive and healthy, and you still continued on with your own selfish reasons for---"  
  
"My reasons are not selfish!" Schoen yelled, jumping to her feet and slamming a fist on Hel's desk. "You know what he did to me and Masafumi, and---"  
  
"---and I specifically told you that---"  
  
"---and it was nothing permanent, I don't see why---"  
  
"Precisely!" Hel snapped, and Schoen glowered at her. "You don't see the point, do you? You don't get the picture?!"  
  
Hel took a deep breath before closing her eyes and dropping to her chair. She'd finally had enough, and there was no way she was taking this anymore.  
  
"Schoen?"  
  
The blonde looked over at her smartly. "Yes, Aoi?"  
  
Hel tented her fingers and sent Schoen a very cold glance. "As of right now, Karen, you are on probation. That is all."  
  
**********  
  
**********  
  
A/N: It is at this point that I would like to point out that the subtitles in episode twenty-one are SO my inspiration. Yanno, the part where Schoen tells Neu to kill Yohji and Ken comes flying in through the window with his claws ready and yells: "I will date with you!"  
  
...  
  
Oh yeah, now *THERE'S* the funny... XD  
  
Probation, eh... ? And you know it doesn't mean booze... I wonder, how do you think this is going to end up? I know... but do you? XD  
  
And lookit, CD---Ken beating! ^^ And Misura, you're turning into a sadist- --tsk, tsk, woman, that's my job! Although I think Ken might need a larger ration of hope than he's got right now.... o_O  
  
I love me.... XD  
  
---Gangsta Videl  
  
********** 


End file.
